


Fear

by maybekatdidit



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Back ground Steve/billy, Billy is a good bro, Hopper hugs, M/M, Max is tired of Neil, Step Siblings, Steve makes them coco, max is a good sis, mild violence, milkshakes and rides
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-21 04:13:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17036438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maybekatdidit/pseuds/maybekatdidit
Summary: Max wasn’t afraid of Billy. Max wasn’t afraid of Neil. Max Mayfield wasn’t afraid of shit.





	Fear

Max wasn’t afraid of Billy. Max wasn’t afraid of Neil. Max Mayfield wasn’t afraid of shit. 

Maybe it made her young and naive. Stupid. She didn’t care. She wasn’t afraid of Billy and she wasn’t afraid of Neil. 

Something clenched in her chest as she heard Neil’s voice rising. Billy was late, where was he last night? Neil was pissed. Susan was on a grocery run. 

Max was as fiery as her hair. She ignored what the girls from her school said about her clothes, her attitude, her hanging out with boys and liking the arcade. It could sting and hurt but she didn’t care. She would do what she wanted to do anyways. 

Billy envied her. Years of Neil and hard hands made him cowar. He was a big boy and it wouldn’t take much but courage to take Neil down, to stand up for himself. When Neil came towering over him he felt like a little boy, scared and alone. Helpless. 

Max threw open her door. Max from four months ago would’ve let them be. Billy was mean then, after she waved a bat at him he changed. He made peace with her friends and peace with Steve. They had some sort of friendship that made him soft even when he pretended it wasn’t like that. She still teased him. He’d let her play her songs in the car and sometimes they’d grab shakes then go on a drive, hyper from the sugar and full from fries. She came home last week to a new,  _ brand new _ , skateboard on her bed. She squealed and ran into the living room to find Billy watching cartoons. He looked at her and just smiled when she thanked him. 

It’s what fueled her to stomp down the hall into the kitchen where she knew Billy was against the wall. Jaw firm, eyes narrow, fight back tears and reigning himself in. She knew because she’d seen it, Susan wasn’t here to distract her by a drive or lead her to their room.

Neil sneered at Billy, sucking the fight from him on eye contact alone. Max hated to see him like this, helpless. The Billy now, he deserved more than this. He deserved someone to come between them and say no. 

Max Mayfield wasn’t afraid of Billy.

She wasn’t afraid of Neil. 

“Get. Off. Of. Him.” She snapped. Neil turned his head. “Maxine go to your room please.” Max growled, “Neil I’m not kidding.” Neil turned his head again. “Call me Dad sweetie. Now why don’t go ride your skateboard or something I’m trying to deal with your brother.” Max clenched her fist. “You’re not my dad you piece of shit. And it’s step brother,” Neil whipped around and stomped to where she stood in the kitchen. She planted her feet, crossed her arms, glared at him with piercing eyes, she knew it was coming. The smack was firm, no hesitation. Her head snapped to the side a hand going up to cup it. Neil shoved her out of the kitchen. “Your room now!” Max was boiling. 

Billy was stunned for a moment, “Don’t you fucking touch her!” He snapped, before he could get off the wall Neil was on him again and arm to his neck their faces close. He glared at him, “you raising a voice at me boy?!” He roared. 

Max came in swung her leg hard and swift kicking Neil between the legs. Neil groaned and shoved off of Billy to regain his composure. He held himself carefully and hissed in pain. “Fuck! Maxine!” Billy’s head throbbed and his lip was split, he had a black eye and Max’s face had a hand print. “Nextime don’t make me ask twice.” She glared. Billy grabbed Max and his keys off the counter, “let’s go kid.” 

He ushered her to car. “Where we going?” She asked her body jittery from adrenaline. “Steve’s.” He said simply. Then he was tight lipped the rest of the way. He pulled up to Harrington’s place, they walked up knocked on the door. “Jerez Billy I saw you like four hours ago, miss me?” He laughed and stopped when he saw them. “Shit what happened?” He let them in, fixed them hot coco, gave Billy a cigarette and let him smoke in the house sliding over a ash tray. Billy and Steve left the room for a minuet talking hushed in the hall. 

Steve came back out Bill in toe, he pressed a frozen steak to his eye and Max had a bag of frozen carrots for her face. Steve called Hop asking him to come over it was urgent.

Billy usually didn’t care about his well being, as long as he was the punching bag he could handle it. But he couldn’t handle Max or Susan getting hurt, they didn’t deserve that. Steve whispered in his ear many times that he too doesn’t deserve it. Billy struggles to believe it but he tries, for Steve. 

Hop came a while later, Max went over to his place sometimes to hang out with Eleven, do their nails and talk about their boyfriends. Hopper was sweet, a good dad, not like Neil. Nothing close. He came in and took some pictures of Max’s face and then gave her a hug. “You okay kiddo? I’m sorry this happened go you,” Max nodded. “I’m alright. I wasn’t scared.” Hop chuckled, and stood. “Get to icing that. Hargrove right? Wanna have a chat?” Steve looked over, “You guys can use my dad's office. Just don’t touch nothing he’ll know.”

Hop sat across from Billy eyes narrow. Billy wasn’t talking, “Can I take some pictures for evidence? Could help keep Niel out of your hair for longer,”  Billy nodded. He looked like he wanted to cry. Hop took them. 

Hop promised to keep a eye out for Neil cause he wasn’t home. Susan was, said she hadn’t seen him. Max wanted to stay with Steve and Billy, they were excused from school for three days. Hop wanted Steve to watch them, looked at Billy and said they’d need it. Billy was in the lazy boy lopped on Steve’s old meds from when he got a tooth pulled. Max had some aspirin, she watch TV on the couch next to Steve who was flipping through one of Dustin’s comic books. 

Then it hit her, the adrenaline she’d been riding off for hours left abruptly. She sucked in a breath her eyes burning with tears, her throat tight. She was in shock, “Max?” Steve said softly. She hug her head and cried softly, “Hey it’s okay Max…” he said softly. She didn’t want to cry, thought she didn’t have the right to, she’d never gone through what Billy had. 

She wrapped her arms around herself and Steve put one on around her shoulder. “I know it was scary. It’s okay.” He whispered. The lazy boy creaked and the footrest folded shut. Billy’s borrowed pumpkin socks padded over the soft carpet to take the opposite side. Steve let Billy give her a hug, “I’ll make more coco.” He stood and let the siblings be. 

After awhile of crying Max wiped her eyes on her sleeve and looked at Billy, he had tears of his own in his eyes. “I’m sorry Max. I’m sorry he hit you, I should’ve done something.” Billy said softly. Max shook her head. “No Billy I should’ve done that a long time ago.” She whispered. They hugged each other in silence until they heard Steve hiss as he burnt himself, “Hot, hot, hot, ow shit-“ he hissed. Max laughed and Billy followed. “So where were you last night?” Max asked. Billy sighed, “Here.” Max nodded “Good. I’m glad I didn’t do all that for you to be with some random girl at a party.” Billy laughed, “Yea no I was with Steve.” Max paused, “Why?” She deserved to know. 

Billy huffed. “Because none ya business.” Max gave him a look, “Because we’re kinda a thing I guess.” Max cringed “Ew poor Steve.” Steve came in balancing three mugs. “Poor Steve what?” The step siblings turned, “Nothing.” They said in unison. Steve gave them a look and set the cups down and turned on tv. 

Max wasn’t afraid of Billy. Max wasn’t afraid of Niel. Max Mayfield wasn’t afraid of shit. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you! Check out my other fics and lmk what you think! Comments are welcome always!!


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